New Delhi: Bizarre scenes unfolded in the third T20I between India and South Africa as the play at the Centurion was halted after a peculiar ‘insect attack’. After India had set hosts South Africa a target of 220, Ryan Rickelton and Reeza Hendricks scored seven in one over when play had to be stopped as insects caused the play to stop. It was not a brief delay as the groundsmen tried hard to make the conditions suitable for play.
While the netizens termed the delay as an ‘insect attack’, the commentators said that it was an “ant attack”.
Coming to the match, Tilak Varma made his promotion to number three count by hitting a terrific unbeaten 107 off 56 balls – his maiden century in T20Is – as India posted a massive 219/6 against South Africa in the third game at the SuperSport Park in Centurion. Varma took on the attack from the word go and upped the ante on meeting a favourable match-up as he smashed eight fours and seven sixes in his 107 not out – making him the second youngest Indian batter and 12th overall from the country to score a hundred in men’s T20Is.
In all 71 of Varma’s runs came from the leg-side boundary, as the left-handed batter dazzled with some eye-catching stroke-play while pacing his innings very well. He was ably supported by Abhishek Sharma, who broke his lean run with a 25-ball fifty, as the duo had a 107-run stand for the second wicket, where targeting short square boundaries in Power-play stood out.
“Insect attack” at Centurion:
Breaking News: Ind vs SA match stopped due to Dragonfly.
टिड्डे आने के कारण रुका Ind Vs SA का मैच।।#INDvSA pic.twitter.com/KeTLUKMd1b— SciTech (@autoscienc78209) November 13, 2024
Play Halted bcz of insect 🦗#SAvsIND #T20 #T20Cricket #T20Iseries #tilakverma #INDvSA #RamandeepSingh#sanju_samson #rinkusingh #SuryakumarYadav #centurions #CricketUpdates pic.twitter.com/iyKYicJgK3
— Bhanu Pratap Singh (@imbhanuprsingh) November 13, 2024
SuperSport Park Stadium, Centurion, South Africa is under Insect Attack.
Play suspended. #INDvSA
— Aijaz Abdullah (@AijazAbdullah) November 13, 2024